As a medical student, regardless of the field in which you wish to develop your expertise, the careful consideration of the patient’s overall wellbeing is essential. But one of the most complex and challenging cases you will face is caring for patients with chronic health issues. For many of these patients, they live with debilitating conditions that really impact their quality of life. Some are only in their twenties or thirties with much of their lives ahead of them. Learning how to work with patients with diagnosed chronic health concerns is important as it helps to provide a holistic approach to their treatment.
A chronic illness is defined as a condition that is long-lasting and usually cannot be completely cured. Some examples of chronic illness are heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and kidney disease. Other
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Actually, depression is one of the most common side effects of chronic illness. Living with a condition that robs you of your ability to enjoy even the simplest things in life is devastating, so it’s not hard to draw a connection between chronic illness and feelings of despair. Limited mobility, loss of independence and the growing burden on loved ones weighs heavily on the minds of many patients. In some cases, the physical effects of the illness, or even the side effects of the medication used can also lead to mental health issues.
Working with patients with chronic healthcare concerns required a happy balance of physical, mental and emotional support. Treating the condition with a holistic approach helps to elevate the human at the centre of the suffering. Management of their illness often requires the committed attention of several specialists, working in tandem to ensure the patient has some semblance of normalcy. Remembering there is a human being amid the pain and suffering of a chronic health issue is paramount, and most humbling as a healthcare
Chronic illnesses are disorders that require ongoing care and treatment for much of the patients’ life to manage the illness. Examples of such illnesses are diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. When discussing chronic mental illness, such diseases or disorders would be those that require ongoing treatment and care throughout much of the patients’ life. Examples would be schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic anxiety disorder or attention deficit hyperactive disorder as well as many other specific forms of mental illness. Individuals suffering from chronic mental illnesses are part of the vulnerable population because they
As a Registered Nurse who knows the duties that his work demands, I have to demonstrate deeper understanding of the Health Directorate's core values of care, excellence, collaboration, and integrity in my professional nursing practice and patient care. To conform to the above mentioned values, I endeavor to appreciate that improving a patient's experience is integral in patient care. This can be achieved by doing away with fear and anxiety that protracts patients' healing process. Enhancement of the communication between my patients and I will also go a long way in hastening their recovery and their self-management.
Growing up with many chronic illnesses such as asthma, hypertension, eczema, etc.., has left me fascinated with chronic illnesses. It’s remarkable how long and painful certain chronic illnesses are. I remember thinking about how painful it was to wheeze throughout the time, struggling to breath as a child. It was at this time that I had first developed a desire to mitigate chronic pain. When I grew older, I became interested in clinics, and when volunteering at a community clinic, I realized the profound effect of chronic illnesses in my community.
My role involves working extensively with patients who have long term chronic conditions as well as acting as advocate and coordinator to ensure that health and social care needs are met. I actively empower patient to self care allowing them to remain independent within their home, support family member to participate in the care of patient hence preventing unnecessary hospital admission. I have experience liaising
With the development of the nurses understanding, the nurse will be able to clearly communication across relevant information. This will promote patient participation (Tobiano, Marshall, Bucknall, & Chaboyer, 2016) and empower the patients voice by actively involving them in the decision-making process. Per the Health and Disability Act (1994, as cited in Medical Council of New Zealand, n.d) patients should have their treatment explained to them, including the benefits, risks, alternatives and costs; as well as having the option to change their mind at any time. This all contributes to the development of a partnership and ensures that the patient will cooperate with tasks at hand. However, the lack of communication with the patient regarding their treatment can cause severe anxiety and ultimately a breakdown in the trust between the patient and the nurse. The successful implementation of this in practice can be seen in an observational study conducted by Tobiano et al. (2016).
We will be examining substance abuse among adolescents in Orange County (OC) and assessing the contributing factors and different interventions currently offered. Adolescent substance abuse is difficult to identify because, unlike diseases, there are generally no physical manifestations. Therefore, proper education and resources geared towards at-risk adolescents must effectively address the underlying contributors of substance abuse. National statistics generally suggest that poverty is directly related to substance abuse. However, Courtney Perkes, a writer for the Orange County Register, notes that wealth is associated with substance abuse among teens, especially those living “in south Orange County and
Patient care is ultimately inadequate if the patient’s goals and preferences have not been assessed. Therefore, it is crucial that the attending physicians have insight into the thoughts of the patient as they go from diagnosis, to treatment and then the likelihood of death when the patient is confronted with a devastating illness. The physician’s task for their chronically ill patient discussed in a class lecture noted the importance of American Psychiatrist George Engel’s Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Illness’s, a view that psychological and social factors influence biological
When someone is suffering or living with a chronic illness it can have a huge impact on them psychologically and socially. Chronic Illness is a condition that is prolonged in duration, usually more than 3 months and is rarely cured (DoH, 2012). Having to cope with a chronic condition might lead to life changes, such as dependency on others, loss of income, which can cause feelings of loss and reduced self-esteem. They can also report feelings of social rejection, poor healthcare and workplace termination due to their presenting condition (Earnshaw, Quinn, & Park, 2011).
There are a number of key elements that help to provide a framework that enhances truthful communication. Firstly, there is the need to develop open and honest communication from the very beginning of the patient-health professional relationship. Secondly, the health professional needs to use patient penchant as a “weigh” by asking them what they wish to know, how much they wish to know, and determining what they already know. In other words, it is a responsibility of the health professional to get a ‘feel’ for the situation, including the patients’ perception of the situation (Ashcroft, Dawson & Drape 2007).
Patients seek medical attention for preventative measures, as well as, diagnostic measures. Patients must have a trusting rapport with their collaborative medical team, as the nurses and the doctors are the people who they trust their lives with. Patients do not always present to hospitals, urgent cares, walk-in clinics, or even doctor’s offices only when they are sick; patients visit to ensure their good health will continue, treatment regimens are of benefit, changes that may be needed in regimen. When someone thinks of a patient they may think of some of these characteristics: illness, disease, hospital, medications, health, and prevention.
Understanding the potential health challenges a patient may face is something that is required for holistic care. The comorbidity of the patient’s
The environment part could affect the health of the person, the process of adjustment results complicated when ecological, real physical environment, cultural and monetary parts surrounding the patient cannot be change. This component is related to everything that impacts the patient’s wellbeing. The adaptation model, it has three levels which are compensatory, integrated, and the comprised life forms. The three adaptation models don’t stay consistent as change is unavoidable every once in a while (Marchuk, 2014). When the practitioner notify the patient of the diagnoses and provide a plan of care, assuring patient’s environment is not only supportive, but accepting is key for compliance. Understanding the surroundings around the patient’s and make the pertinent changes will avoid a futile impact on outcomes and recuperation will be accomplished.
First of all, I recognized that I was dealing with humans, and not just dealing with a disease process and application of the nursing process in the aspect of restoring patient health. I was dealing with emotions, and families, and cultural beliefs that influenced individual’s aspects of care. I started to see that health did not just incorporate healing the disease, but also recognized the importance of making sure patient’s felt that their
This author’s personal philosophy in practice is to provide holistic care to my patients and their families. This author feels that encompassing the whole family or the patients support framework in the plan of care is the best approach to returning the patient to their optimum state of health. It is important to this author to evaluate the all of the aspects of the patient’s lives that they will share. It is important to evaluate the patient’s learning style,
Chronicity is when an individual has a permanent disease or disability that involves the total human environment for supportive care and self-care, maintenance of function, prevention and further disability (Lubkin & Larsen, 2009, p. 6)